. >> herman's wife was armed with a .38 cal caliber. she fired all six shot, hitting the intruder five times. >> if she had not had that firearm, what do you think would have happened? >> i can speculate all day long. >> sheriff joe chaplain believes the mother had no chase and in defending herself and her children, acted properly. >> had it not turned out the way that it did, i possibly would be working a triple homicide not having a clue of what it is we're looking for. >> the suspect broke in with a you bar. he still managed to flee after being shot, driving off the road a short distance away. d donny herman told wsb his wife and children were unharmed. >> mi wife is hero. she protected her kids. she did what she was supposed to do as a responsible, prepared gun owner. >> we asked to speak to the couple, but now, less than a week after the incident, they're trying to maintain their privacy. the sheriff tells us they're dealing with some unintended ren the national debate over guns. just the week before, he took his wife to a shooting